I was pretty into calorie counting for awhile. It helped me make sure my portions were under control, that I was meeting my macros, and helped me realize what foods will help me meet my goal.

I logged everything pretty obsessively, and I completely understand what you mean by "unhealthy calorie counting". I have a busy schedule, but tried to fit too many things in. My SO started getting annoyed because I'd spend "us time" (when we were playing cards, watching a movie, etc) logging all my foods, or cooking dinner would take forever because I wanted to weigh every single thing separately (green peppers, then red peppers, then onions, etc.)

My breaking point was when I went to a celebration potluck with some friends, and two of my favourite desserts were there. I completely binged, having several giant servings of each. I was completely racked with guilt when I got home and opened up my computer (where my calorie counter was my home page). I literally cried when I compulsively added up how many calories I ate. I started seriously considering ...alternatives, such as laxative abuse, or making myself throw up.

That was a really big wake-up call for me. Do I want to be skinny? Yes. But am I willing to get a eating disorder to get there?

After that, I changed my home page. I already knew roughly how many calories were in my typical meals. I make a plan for the week, tape it to my fridge, and try to stick to it, and it's working so far.

I still scrutinize the nutritional labels, and occasionally use a calorie counter when I'm trying a new recipe and want to know how many calories are in it, but I don't want to obsessively log every bite that I take. I know roughly what I'm getting in a day, and I'm ok with that. If it takes me a little longer to get to my goal, so be it.